Book IV - The Journey of the Ringbearers
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9606056/Red%20Book%20IV.avi
Fan Edits Discussion- Book IV The Journey of the Ringbearers
Fan Edits Discussion- Book IV The Journey of the Ringbearers
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
Book IV - The Journey of the Ringbearers
I was worried that this movie would get monotonous with no break from Frodo, Gollum and Sam, but it actually works very well. There are quite a few scenes changed here, and mostly for the better. Again, Kerr is limited by the footage available, so there's no way to turn Sams box of salt into Galadriels gift. Things like this really feel like lost opportunities when you see the movies in this format.
Gollum's backstory is now shown when Frodo calls him by name and it works much better here than at the start of RotK. Its slightly shortened though, so we don't see him turning into Gollum. I thought my kids might not get it, but they were fine actually. Another good change is that we don't see Frodo fall into the Dead Marshes, again, clever editing here.
The Gollum/Sméagol debate is presented pretty much as it was in the movies. I was hoping it could be edited slightly to remove the comic aspect. My kids thought it was hilarious, and it really shouldn't be. I still don't know why PJ chose to play this for laughs when it should be creepy as all hell.
Faramir's scenes are much stronger now, but require a certain suspension of disbelief. The later Osgiliath scenes are in a different color palette and obviously different scenery and costumes. However, once you get past that the scene works well, albeit a bit abruptly.
The stairs of Cirith Ungol are great and some magical editing here again. Frodo does not send Sam home, and Galadriel doesn't appeear to Frodo in a vision. Shelobs lair is still too bright though.
Another great edit overall though.
I was worried that this movie would get monotonous with no break from Frodo, Gollum and Sam, but it actually works very well. There are quite a few scenes changed here, and mostly for the better. Again, Kerr is limited by the footage available, so there's no way to turn Sams box of salt into Galadriels gift. Things like this really feel like lost opportunities when you see the movies in this format.
Gollum's backstory is now shown when Frodo calls him by name and it works much better here than at the start of RotK. Its slightly shortened though, so we don't see him turning into Gollum. I thought my kids might not get it, but they were fine actually. Another good change is that we don't see Frodo fall into the Dead Marshes, again, clever editing here.
The Gollum/Sméagol debate is presented pretty much as it was in the movies. I was hoping it could be edited slightly to remove the comic aspect. My kids thought it was hilarious, and it really shouldn't be. I still don't know why PJ chose to play this for laughs when it should be creepy as all hell.
Faramir's scenes are much stronger now, but require a certain suspension of disbelief. The later Osgiliath scenes are in a different color palette and obviously different scenery and costumes. However, once you get past that the scene works well, albeit a bit abruptly.
The stairs of Cirith Ungol are great and some magical editing here again. Frodo does not send Sam home, and Galadriel doesn't appeear to Frodo in a vision. Shelobs lair is still too bright though.
Another great edit overall though.
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
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Voronwë the Faithful
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Pretty much agree with Al's comments 100% on this one on all points. I actually had the exact same thought about the box of salt.
I did think it was interesting that he choose to place the sequence of Sméagol taking the ring from Déagol where he placed it, rather than at the psuedo-"Shadow of the Past" scene in Moria when Gandalf tells Frodo about Sméagol. That would seem to be closer to the book.
One thing that I thought was strange was that while the horrible "go home" sequence is blissfully removed (that by itself makes the whole effot worthwhile), he kept the shot of Sam falling down the stairs. I didn't understand that. Was that an effort to explain why Frodo was alone in entering the tunnel? It seemed somewhat nonesensical to me.
But Faramir was wonderfully done. And yes, Al, well worth losing the visual of the Nazgûl over Osgiliath to have Faramir be closer to the original.
I'm looking forward to seeing what he has done with ROTK. I'm particularly interested to see if the Éowyn/Witchking sequence comes across better without being interrupted. And whether he was able to make the Gandalf/Witchking sequence work better (or whether he even tries).
I did think it was interesting that he choose to place the sequence of Sméagol taking the ring from Déagol where he placed it, rather than at the psuedo-"Shadow of the Past" scene in Moria when Gandalf tells Frodo about Sméagol. That would seem to be closer to the book.
One thing that I thought was strange was that while the horrible "go home" sequence is blissfully removed (that by itself makes the whole effot worthwhile), he kept the shot of Sam falling down the stairs. I didn't understand that. Was that an effort to explain why Frodo was alone in entering the tunnel? It seemed somewhat nonesensical to me.
But Faramir was wonderfully done. And yes, Al, well worth losing the visual of the Nazgûl over Osgiliath to have Faramir be closer to the original.
I'm looking forward to seeing what he has done with ROTK. I'm particularly interested to see if the Éowyn/Witchking sequence comes across better without being interrupted. And whether he was able to make the Gandalf/Witchking sequence work better (or whether he even tries).
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
My thoughts on Book IV:
The rope scene was too light-hearted for me, coming just as the Emyn Muil was becoming a more depressing place.
Sam wondering whether he and Frodo would be mentioned in the “old tales” did not work at all. It has too much of an “end-of-film” feeling to it and, without Sam’s speech in Osgiliath, absolutely no set-up.
The editing out of the whole Gollum tricking Frodo into sending Sam home worked pretty well except for when Sam fell down the stairs. Are we supposed to assume that Gollum pushed him?
I’d have kept in the Frodo-Gollum fight outside Shelob’s Lair too (even if it didn't happen in the book): as it is there’s no explanation of what happened to Gollum. I also have no idea why a lot of Sam’s fight with Shelob was cut.
Overall, it was not as good as Book III but better than the first two. Gollum benefitted the most from the edit in my opinion; Frodo and Sam not so much.
The rope scene was too light-hearted for me, coming just as the Emyn Muil was becoming a more depressing place.
Sam wondering whether he and Frodo would be mentioned in the “old tales” did not work at all. It has too much of an “end-of-film” feeling to it and, without Sam’s speech in Osgiliath, absolutely no set-up.
The editing out of the whole Gollum tricking Frodo into sending Sam home worked pretty well except for when Sam fell down the stairs. Are we supposed to assume that Gollum pushed him?
I’d have kept in the Frodo-Gollum fight outside Shelob’s Lair too (even if it didn't happen in the book): as it is there’s no explanation of what happened to Gollum. I also have no idea why a lot of Sam’s fight with Shelob was cut.
Overall, it was not as good as Book III but better than the first two. Gollum benefitted the most from the edit in my opinion; Frodo and Sam not so much.